Patronis permitting bill passes House

Published: Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 09:05 PM.

TALLAHASSEE— State Rep. Jimmy Patronis has pushed his second environmental permitting bill through the Florida House in as many years.

The House passed the bill 98-20 Thursday, shortly after Patronis tried, unsuccessfully, to remove a portion of the bill to appease environmentalist groups, who had brought in former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham to do their bidding.

Patronis said Graham’s biggest concern was a section of the bill that would allow water control districts, operating under chapter 298 of Florida law with valid permits, to be “exempt from further wetlands regulations…”

So Patronis, R-Panama City, offered to take that section out, through an amendment prior to the vote. He said the issue could have been picked up next year.

“(But) more people wanted the language than didn’t want it,” he said.

Because the bill was on its third reading in the House, the amendment needed a two-thirds majority to pass.

Patronis said his bill streamlines multiple permitting processes. He pointed to drilling groundwater wells as one example. He said the state’s water management districts have the closest jurisdiction over Florida’s “water consumptive use needs” and thus should be reviewing all well permits.

TALLAHASSEE— State Rep. Jimmy Patronis has pushed his second environmental permitting bill through the Florida House in as many years.

The House passed the bill 98-20 Thursday, shortly after Patronis tried, unsuccessfully, to remove a portion of the bill to appease environmentalist groups, who had brought in former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham to do their bidding.

Patronis said Graham’s biggest concern was a section of the bill that would allow water control districts, operating under chapter 298 of Florida law with valid permits, to be “exempt from further wetlands regulations…”

So Patronis, R-Panama City, offered to take that section out, through an amendment prior to the vote. He said the issue could have been picked up next year.

“(But) more people wanted the language than didn’t want it,” he said.

Because the bill was on its third reading in the House, the amendment needed a two-thirds majority to pass.

Patronis said his bill streamlines multiple permitting processes. He pointed to drilling groundwater wells as one example. He said the state’s water management districts have the closest jurisdiction over Florida’s “water consumptive use needs” and thus should be reviewing all well permits.

Patronis’ bill would make the water management districts solely responsible for these well permits and would prevent other government entities from demanding additional requirements and fees for installing or abandoning wells.

Though environmental groups have opposed the bill, Patronis said he has worked hard to include all stakeholder groups in the legislative process. He said he had three meetings involving these stakeholder groups’ representatives — including government regulators, environmental activists and business and industry representatives.

“By bringing (up) some of these contentious issues and putting (them) in legislation it kind of let me play the role of a mediator,” he said.

Patronis also made bold claims about the bill saying it didn’t weaken a “single environmental standard” or a “single environmental law.”

However, provisions of the bill include not allowing local governments to ask for additional information of a development permit applicant more than three times. The bill also would give companies more time to pay permit fees for air pollution.

But Patronis remains proud of his legislation.

“Some of these things really just make common sense,” he said.

The Senate version of the bill (SB 1684) has passed out of committee and will likely be voted on next week.